Pope Leo XIV submitted a mail-in ballot on Friday for the United States’ midterm elections.
Mr Leo, the first U.S.-born Catholic pontiff, has now become the first known pope to vote in a secular democratic election.
The Vatican, in a statement on Friday, said, “Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever he was eligible to do so.
“The Holy See Press Office confirms that in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.”
According to CNN, records showed that the Catholic leader registered under his baptismal name, Robert Francis Prevost, to vote in New Lenox, Chicago, where his brother John lives.
However, it is yet to be ascertained whether the pope sent his ballot by mail from the Vatican.
The pontiff was also said to have cast ballots in both Republican and Democratic primaries, as well as during the 2024 presidential election.
